State to have four satellite townships
Shimla, November 12
The Housing and Urban Development Authority will set up four satellite towns in the vicinity of Shimla, Mandi, Dharamsala and Baddi.
The main objective of setting up these townships is to have educational, health and tourism hubs having world-class facilities so as to attract big investors. At some places, land has already been identified and the process of land transfer to HIMUDA is being done.

Simian sterilisation centres to come up at Kangra, Hamirpur
Dharamsala, November 12
After much rhetoric regarding controlling the population of monkeys, the government has finally sanctioned two sterilisation centres in Kangra (Gopalpur zoo) and Hamirpur districts. Sources said the government had sanctioned Rs 2.58 crore for bringing up the centres. These would be the first such centres in the state.

A man feeding monkeys. A Tribune photo

Pong oustees’ ordeal continues in Rajasthan
Dharamsala, November 12
Pong Dam oustees are once again a harassed lot in Rajasthan. The inn constructed for them in the Gharsana area of Anoopgarh district has been forcibly taken over by political workers of Left parties.

Jalmani Yojna to be launched on Nov 14
Shimla, November 12
A centrally sponsored scheme ‘Jalmani Yojna’ aimed at providing clean drinking water in all schools will be launched from the Bassi Government Senior Secondary School in Bilaspur district on November 14.

Many strong candidates for Mandi: Kaul Singh
Hamirpur, November 12
The Himachal Pradesh Congress Committee (HPCC) president Kaul Singh Thakur said there are many strong candidates for Mandi seat for the coming parliamentary elections, including former Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh and myself.

Virbhadra advocates taking back rebels
Mandi, November 12
Former Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh said here today “all old Congressmen who had left the party during the last Assembly elections should be taken back as they would go a long way in strengthening the party in
the face of upcoming Lok Sabha elections”.

Students from Government College for Girls, Chandigarh, who won prizes in different categories St Bede’s Festival at Shimla on Wednesday.
Tribune photo: Amit Sharma

Absence of PSBs hinders plan on treasuries
Shimla, November 12
The absence of public sector banks
(PSBs) in remote areas of the state is coming in the way of implementing the plan to convert non-banking treasuries into banking ones.

Resentment among panchayat assistants
Solan, November 12
With the Panchayati Raj (PR) Department introducing a new norm of absorbing only those panchayat assistants (PAs) who are either plus two or those who have at least a second division in matric on contractual basis, hopes of hundreds of such aspirants have been dashed.

Cabinet nod to ‘van thanas’,
heli-taxis
Shimla, November 12
Establishment of “van thanas” on the pattern of the police stations to protect forest wealth, introduction of heli-taxis to promote adventure tourism and regularisation of services of contractual non-BEd school cadre lecturers were the major decision taken by the state Cabinet that met under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal here today.

Bureaucrats, their wives donate blood
Shimla, November 12
Chief Secretary Asha Swaroop was among 264 officers and employees who donated blood at a camp jointly organised by the state IAS Officers Association and the IAS Officers’ Wives Association in collaboration with the Himachal Pradesh Red Cross Society here today.

IAS officers and their wives donate blood at a camp at Shimla on Wednesday. Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal is also seen in the picture. A Tribune photo

Thind case remanded back
Shimla, November 12
The HP High Court has remanded back the matter pertaining to withdrawal of criminal cases pending against additional DGP B.S. Thind to the special judge (Forest).

Purewal watch unit not to be shut down
Kumarhatti, November 12
In a major victory for workers the state government has asked management of the PA Group of Industries to not to close down its Purewal Watch Unit at Jubbar near here.

Man held for wife’s murder
Nahan, November 12
The Paonta police today arrested Nasir (24), a resident of Bhagwanpur village, on charge of murder of his wife Mehrooba (22).

Action against encroachers likely
Shimla, November 12
The 1310 unauthorised constructions in the town could face disconnection of water and electricity supply as the local municipal corporation has decided to act tough with the violators.

24 vehicles challaned
Kullu, November 12
Traffic jams and minor accidents within Kullu town were happening daily, but the police here remained a silent spectator. The haphazard parking of vehicles, rash driving, two-wheelers drivers without helmets and vehicles without number plates could be seen near banks, main markets and around the deputy commissioner office complex.
However, the police has been organising “traffic weeks” to bring awareness among vehicle owners and drivers, but those went haywire as things did not change.

Boar kills farmer
Bilaspur, November 12
Kashmirilal (52), a farmer, was attacked by a wild boar while he was working in his fields. He was later declared dead by doctors at the Bharadi Community Health Centre, where he was rushed by other villagers working in the nearby fields, about 50 km from here last evening.

Shimla, November 12
The Housing and Urban Development Authority (HIMUDA) will set up four satellite towns in the vicinity of Shimla, Mandi, Dharamsala and Baddi.
The main objective of setting up these townships is to have educational, health and tourism hubs having world-class facilities so as to attract big investors. At some places, land has already been identified and the process of land transfer to HIMUDA is being done.

Work on setting up one such satellite township has already been started at Madala near the Baddi-Barotiwala-Nalagarh industrial belt. The township will have all modern facilities like underground drainage system and wide roads.

It will cater to the requirements of about 3,000 persons with strict demarcation of residential and commercial areas. About 800 bighas of land has been purchased from local residents and more land is being acquired.

Urban development minister and chairman of HIMUDA Kishan Kapoor confirmed that the ball had been set rolling for the setting up of world-class townships. “These will be very well planned townships with international standards so that educational, industrial and tourism projects can be set up here,” he said.

Another smaller township will be set up at Kalusinda near Madala for the setting up of international level educational institutes. “The site is at a distance of barely 8 km from the rail head at Kalka and 35 km from Chandigarh and is being set up with the objective of having four major educational institutes,” Kapoor said. The township would be set up at a cost of Rs 10 crore. For that purpose, almost 120 acres of land had already been transferred in the name of HIMUDA.

The authorities have already started the proceedings for identifying land near Shimla, Mandi and Dharamsala for setting up satellite townships. The proceedings for the transfer of land have been initiated in one case.

Dharamsala, November 12
After much rhetoric regarding controlling the population of monkeys, the government has finally sanctioned two sterilisation centres in Kangra (Gopalpur zoo) and Hamirpur districts. Sources said the government had sanctioned Rs 2.58 crore for bringing up the centres. These would be the first such centres in the state.

Conservator (wildlife), Dharamsala, Pawnesh Sharma said the centre at Hamirpur would become functional by December, while that at Gopalpur would be made functional by February.

He said suggestions had been given to the government to adopt other measures also to prevent monkeys from damaging crops. One of the suggestion was that two persons could be given employment in every village under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme
(NREGS) to ward off monkeys. The other proposal was that more trees on which monkeys feed should be grown in forests so that they did not come out into the fields.

Though the government had sanctioned sterilisation centres for monkeys, it needed experts to carry out the proposed drive. Initially, the department of wildlife would need tranquilliser guns and trained staff to handle them in order to safely catch monkeys for conducting sterilisation operations on them.

The department of wildlife is already faced with the shortage of staff. It has not got enough staff to guard around 1,000 sq km wildlife sanctuary area in Kangra district. The additional task of sterilisation of thousands of monkeys would put additional burden on the already strained resources of the Wildlife Department.

Sterilisation of monkeys has to be carried out in a planned manner so that it does not have catastrophic effect on their population. Only the alpha males in monkey colonies need to be sterilised to have limited effect on their population.

The conservator, however, said that all aspects would be properly covered under the project.

Dharamsala, November 12
Pong Dam oustees are once again a harassed lot in Rajasthan. The inn constructed for them in the Gharsana area of Anoopgarh district has been forcibly taken over by political workers of Left parties.

Talking to The Tribune over phone, state president of Pong Dam oustees body Tirath Ram Sharma said he, along with some other persons, had gone to Rajasthan to attend a marriage. The inn at Gharsana was constructed using money from the Pong Dam Oustees Development Fund and its ownership and custody was with the Himachal Government. “However, we were surprised to find that the inn had been taken over by workers of Left parties. They have opened their election office in the inn and filled the building with posters and banners. They have also got an illegal power connection. Dam oustees are not allowed to enter the building by these workers,” he said.

The oustees alleged the way the inn had been taken over by workers of a political party illustrates the treatment being met to them at the hands of the Rajasthan Government. “We have informed the officials concerned of the Himachal Government regarding the development,” they added.

The deputy commissioner, relief and rehabilitation for Pong Dam Oustees, said some of the oustees had informed him about the issue. “I have talked to the SDM, Anoopgrah, in whose jurisdiction the area falls. She has informed me that action will be taken to get the inn vacated at the earliest,” he said.

Shimla, November 12
A centrally sponsored scheme ‘Jalmani Yojna’ aimed at providing clean drinking water in all schools will be launched from the Bassi Government Senior Secondary School in Bilaspur district on November 14.

Stating this here yesterday, irrigation and public health minister Ravinder Singh Ravi said Rs 40,000 would be spent on installing an aqua guard at a cost of Rs 40,000 in all schools. “Many of the schools do not have access to potable drinking water and this scheme would help in addressing this problem,” he added.

He informed that as a special category state, 90 per cent amount of the loan raised for channelisation of the Swan river in Una district would be provided as subsidy under the Flood Management programme while only 10 per cent would have to be borne by the state government.

Ravi said the investment clearance had been obtained under the Flood Management programme and Rs 235 crore had already been sanctioned by NABARD in the second phase for channelisation of the Swan river, which would reclaim 5,000 hectares of land spread over an area of 28 km.

The minister said Rs 106 crore had already been spent on the channelisation of the Swan river covering 17 km area which had greatly benefited the farmers of Una who could now grow off-season vegetables and undertake horticulture activities.

Ravi said Rs 40 crore had been received from NABARD under the second phase of channelisation. The total length of the Swan river is 85 km out of which 65 km fall in the state and around 45 km remains to be channelised. The stretch from Jhaleda to Gagret would be channelised under the second phase.

Hamirpur, November 12
The Himachal Pradesh Congress Committee (HPCC) president Kaul Singh Thakur said there are many strong candidates for Mandi seat for the coming parliamentary elections, including former Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh and myself.

Relying to a question while addressing mediapersons here today he said, “The Congress has many strong candidates from Mandi constituency like Virbhadra Singh, Sukh Ram, Mandi MP Pratibha Singh and he himself and whosoever will be directed by AICC president Sonia Gandhi to contest for party will win the seat.”

Commenting on the performance of the BJP government in the state, Thakur said, “Though the Chief Minister claims that 80 per cent of election promises in the BJP manifesto have been fulfilled, all decisions till now have been made contrary to its promises because of which popularity graph of the government has come down drastically.”

He criticised the present government for “bus fare hike, reducing VAT on liquor causing a revenue loss of about Rs 100 crore, for increasing electricity charges and scrapping administrative tribunal.”

The Congress leader said, “Though the neighbouring states have reduced VAT on diesel, petrol and LPG, the state government has not done so, reducing the consumption of diesel and petrol to half due to higher prices here and demanded that the Chief Minister should reduce VAT on these products.”

He said after coming to power the Congress government would revive the administrative tribunal.

The HPCC president avoided replying to any question related to former Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh’s comments about party affairs in the state and said, “He is our senior leader and I do not want to comment about it.”

Mandi, November 12
Former Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh said here today “all old Congressmen who had left the party during the last Assembly elections should be taken back as they would go a long way in strengthening the party in
the face of upcoming Lok Sabha elections”.

Responding to the queries of mediapersons on the sidelines of a private function at the house of former chairman of cooperative bank Natha Singh Thakur, an expelled Congressman, he lambasted former power minister Vidya Stokes for her statement that “all sitting MPs would contest the Lok Sabha elections”.

“They have overstepped limits as it is the central election committee chaired by Congress president Sonia Gandhi that decides as to who should or should not contest elections,” he remarked referring to Vidya Stokes, his political opponent within the party.

On the formation of the new executive, including district Congress committees formed by state president Kaul Singh, he said the situation had not changed much. “I have not seen the list of the Mandi DCC. He should consult senior leaders before forming such committee in the interest of the party,” he added.

What has given political colour to the private function at the house of the “expelled Congressman”, who had fought unsuccessfully as an Independent from Dharampur in the last assembly election, is the fact that Kaul Singh did not attend the function.

Virbhadra Singh said the Congress had always been strong and nothing substantial had changed under Kaul Singh Thakur.

Kaul Singh Thakur claimed he always consulted senior leaders before taking decisions. “It is the high command that decides
who will contest elections or not,” he added.

Stokes could not be contacted for comments.

He said the Chief Minister should keep in mind the dignity of the office he was holding before making statements like the one he made on the issue of government medical college at Mandi.

“Even I have announced it in the budget speech of 2007-2008 in the Vidhan Sabha and the Cabinet had taken a decision and issued a notification in that regard,” he said.

He said the Congress welcomed private colleges, but the party stood by its commitment to people of Mandi that it would start a government medical college there.

He said if the Congress came back to power it would start the government medical college at Mandi and regularise the services of PTA teachers. “We support PTA strike and the agitation of the Mandi Medical College Sangharsh Samiti,” he added.

Shimla, November 12
The absence of public sector banks
(PSBs) in remote areas of the state is coming in the way of implementing the plan to convert non-banking treasuries into banking ones.

Out of the total 100 treasuries and sub-treasuries, 88 have been converted into banking treasuries. However, the exercise could not be completed as there are no branches of public sector banks in some remote pockets like Dodra Kawar and
Kamrao, where cash is sent to sub-treasuries from the respective district treasuries. The government has now approached the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to seek approval for maintaining accounts in the state cooperative bank and the gramin bank that have presence in these areas. As per RBI norms, the government accounts have to be maintained in public sector banks normally.

Principal secretary, finance, Arvind Mehta is confident that approval will be accorded by the RBI and all treasuries will be converted into banking treasuries by March, 2009, to put in place a sound financial administration system. The exercise to computerise the treasuries, the most important component of the state’s financial system, has already been completed. Once the switchover is complete, there will be no handling of cash at treasuries.

It will be followed by switchover to electronic clearance system
(ECS) for all government bank transactions. At present, electronic clearance house is operational only at Shimla. There is a plan to introduce ECS in Solan shortly, which will be extended to all districts by the end of financial year 2009-10. Further, depending on the availability of core banking platform, all government payments will be made through electronic transactions.

To begin with, salaries of employees will be disbursed through cashless transactions. In the second phase, pensions will be paid through e-banking. Eventually, all financial transactions will be made though the e-banking route, which will improve efficiency and productivity as a number of manual operations will be eliminated.

Himachal Pradesh has been the first state in the country to bring all 12.5 lakh households in the fold of banking system as part of its total financial inclusion programme. It is now working on the credit inclusion plan under which all households will be issued credit cards to provide easy access to loans.

Solan, November 12
With the Panchayati Raj (PR) Department introducing a new norm of absorbing only those panchayat assistants (PAs) who are either plus two or those who have at least a second division in matric on contractual basis, hopes of hundreds of such aspirants have been dashed.

The director of the PR in its October 22 order has granted the PAs who have completed eight years service on March 2008 an opportunity to be absorbed on contractual basis at a fixed monthly salary of Rs 4,680.

The department has identified as many as 260 such posts in the entire state where the PAs who were hitherto paid measly Rs 3,200 would now be granted Rs 4,680. These PAs were earlier given appointments with merely matriculation qualification.

Though the HP Panchayat Assistant Federation had welcomed the move to enhance their emoluments, they said it was unfortunate that they were being given contractual appointments and this new qualification norm would
disqualify hundreds of such aspirants.

According to directions given by the PR Department, a maximum number of 61 PAs would be absorbed in Kangra followed by 38 in Mandi, 29 in Shimla, 23 in Chamba, 19 in Hamirpur and Una, 18 in Sirmaur, 17 in Solan, 16 in Kullu, 12 in Bilaspur, five in Kinnaur and three in Lahaul-Spiti districts.

Shimla, November 12
Establishment of “van thanas” on the pattern of the police stations to protect forest wealth, introduction of heli-taxis to promote adventure tourism and regularisation of services of contractual non-BEd school cadre lecturers were the major decision taken by the state Cabinet that met under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal here today.

It also approved the state Building and Other Construction Workers (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Services) Rules framed under the Central Act to ensure safety, health and welfare measures for construction workers. The rules will be applicable to all establishments engaged in construction activities and employing 10 or more workers. Projects for private buildings valued at over Rs 10 lakh will also be covered.

A state welfare board will be constituted to monitor the implementation of the Act and a cess of 1 per cent will be levied to undertake welfare activities of workers. These activities will include benefits like pension, group insurance, financial assistance in case of accidents, major ailments, maternity benefit for female employees and loans for construction of houses and financial assistance for children’s education.

The forest police stations will be headed by a block officer supported by around six forest guards and four forest workers. They will wear the prescribed “khaki” uniform with “Van Thana” inscribed on their arms. They will conduct joint patrolling and function under the overall control of the range officer concerned.

The Cabinet gave nod for the introduction of heli-taxis and permitted the Tourism and Civil Aviation Department to invite technical and financial bids for the purpose. It approved a guarantee of Rs 300 crore in favour of the state agriculture and rural development bank for floating loan bonds for the year 2011-12 and allowed extension for the completion of the Shah Nehar project up to March 2010. It also approved amendment in the state Cooperative Societies Act and recruitment procedure for anganwari workers.

Non-BEd school cadre lecturers working on contractual basis will be regularised by granting relaxation in qualification for those who have completed eight years of continuous service as on March 31, 2008. All such teachers will qualify for the next increment and promotion only after acquiring the prescribed BEd degree. One-time relaxation in favour of 17 agriculture extension officers for promotion to the post of agriculture development officer possessing BSc (agriculture) degree under the 10+2+3 system from any recognised university.

It also approved upgrading of the post of the deputy director as the joint director in the Tourism and Civil Aviation Department besides enhancing in the import duty on beer from Re 1 to Rs 2 per bottle of 650 ml and permitted issuance of License B-1 for setting up of craft beer plant at Gagret in Una to TVB Craft Breweries.

Shimla, November 12
The government proposes to connect Chamba and Kangra areas, which have a sizeable concentration of Gaddi population, by boring a tunnel across the Dhauladhar range.

This was stated by Chief Minister P.K. Dhumal while addressing members of the Gaddi community here today. Members of the community had called on him to thank him for appointing Trilok Kapoor as the chairman of the state wool federation. He said the tunnel would link Uttrala (Baijnath) in Kangra and Holi in Chamba.

The government had directed the authorities concerned to prepare a pre-feasibility report for the project. At present, members of the community, mostly inhabiting the upper areas of Baijnath and Holi, were required to undertake a long journey to get across.

He said the district headquarters of Chamba had already been connected with the Killar sub-divisional headquarter through Saach Pass, reducing the distance between the two placed by over 500 km. With the opening of the new road, the people would have to travel 170 km only.

Dhumla said the government had also created mobile schools facility for the benefit of nomadic Gaddis and Gujjars who could not send their children to regular schools. Efforts were being made to engage teacher from amongst the educated youth of the community.

Later, the same delegation called on transport minister Kishan Kapoor.

Shimla, November 12
Chief Secretary Asha Swaroop was among 264 officers and employees who donated blood at a camp jointly organised by the state IAS Officers Association and the IAS Officers’ Wives Association in collaboration with the Himachal Pradesh Red Cross Society here today.

Inaugurating the camp chief minister Prem Kumar Dhumal gave a clarion call to all the able-bodied persons to donate blood to help save precious human lives. He appreciated the gesture of the bureaucrats and their wives in contributing their bit towards a social cause. He said that the gesture of the association would not only help the needy and deserving patients but also inspire others to follow suit.

He said that donating blood was a pious service to the suffering humanity which also contributed significantly towards physical and mental well being of the donors.

Shimla, November 12
The HP High Court has remanded back the matter pertaining to withdrawal of criminal cases pending against additional DGP B.S. Thind to the special judge (Forest).

While disposing of the petitions filed by Thind, the court directed the trial court that he will hear the matter in accordance with law on the question as to whether permission is to be granted to the public prosecutor to withdraw from the case or not. This order was passed by Justice Dev Darshan Sood.

It is pertinent to mention here that Thind had challenged the order passed by the special judge (Forest), Shimla, whereby the judge dismissed the applications for withdrawal of criminal cases pending against him. Firstly this order was challenged by the state before the high court, but later on the same was withdrawn by it. Thereafter, Thind again challenged it in his personal capacity before the high court.

Kumarhatti, November 12
In a major victory for workers the state government has asked management of the PA Group of Industries to not to close down its Purewal Watch Unit at Jubbar near here.

Disclosing this here yesterday, Jagdish Bhardwaj, president of the HP AITUC, said the decision had cheered 491 workers of the unit, who were facing uncertain future following management decision on the unit closure.

The management had earlier decided to shut down the unit and a 90-day notice to this effect was pasted outside the premises. The development had led to direct confrontation between the management and the workers that resulted in retrenchment notices to the workers. The workers were enraged over this development and launched an agitation. The Labour Department had visited the unit and handed over a report to the state government, which announced its decision in favour of the workers.

Nahan, November 12
The Paonta police today arrested Nasir (24), a resident of Bhagwanpur village, on charge of murder of his wife Mehrooba (22).

DSP Paonta V.S. Thakur said the villagers informed the police that Mehrooba was lying unconscious in her room.

On inspection it was found that Mehrooba was dead and she had no visible injury on her body except a blue mark on her neck. Her broken bangles were seen spread in the room.

Preliminary investigations raised doubts on the conduct of her husband, who allegedly used to quarrel with her since their marriage.

The police rounded up her husband, who was missing from his home. Thakur said on interrogation Nasir had confessed that he murdered his wife by strangulating her throat while she was in sleep. A case has been registered under Section 302 IPC and the body has been sent for a post-mortem, the DSP added.

Shimla, November 12
The 1310 unauthorised constructions in the town could face disconnection of water and electricity supply as the local municipal corporation has decided to act tough with the violators.

It is reliably learnt that the MC has already sent the list of these unauthorised constructions to the Town and Country Planning (TCP) Department so that action could be initiated. Under Section 83-A of the Town and Country Planning Act there is provision for disconnecting power and water supply.

Action could also be taken against the officials who have issued NOC for granting of water and electricity connections to these unauthorised structures. Despite the fact that many of these cases are pending in various courts The MC has decided to act tough with the violators.

Demolition orders have already been passed in case of 84 of these 1310 unauthorised constructions. In 10 cases the structures have also been demolished. Stay has been granted in 75 cases by different courts against the demolition orders.

However, in 44 cases demolition orders have been passed but are yet to be executed.

Kullu, November 12
Traffic jams and minor accidents within Kullu town were happening daily, but the police here remained a silent spectator. The haphazard parking of vehicles, rash driving, two-wheelers drivers without helmets and vehicles without number plates could be seen near banks, main markets and around the deputy commissioner office complex.

However, the police has been organising “traffic weeks” to bring awareness among vehicle owners and drivers, but those went haywire as things did not change. Most of the accidents, which occurred during nights, were due to full headlights on and usually very few drivers used dippers.

The judicial officers here observed the misuse of the police leniency and directed the police to book the violators.

The chief judicial magistrate of Lahaul-Spiti at Kullu challaned 24 vehicles yesterday evening at the Akhara Bazar here for such traffic violations and collected fine amounting to Rs 6,000.

Bilaspur, November 12
Kashmirilal (52), a farmer, was attacked by a wild boar while he was working in his fields. He was later declared dead by doctors at the Bharadi Community Health Centre, where he was rushed by other villagers working in the nearby fields, about 50 km from here last evening.

Reports said a boar, which appeared from the bushes after it found a number of farmers coming to the fields, suddenly attacked
Kashmirilal.

This incident occurred at Palli village of Mehari-Kathla gram panchayat in Ghumarwin constituency.